


Growing Up

by pinkamour1588



Series: Home is where the heart is [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chocolate, First Period, Fluff, Growing Up, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Insecurity, M/M, Parenthood, Shopping, Temper Tantrums, mild homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 19:32:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12777942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkamour1588/pseuds/pinkamour1588
Summary: Joanna’s first period and Jim’s difficulty answering questions.





	Growing Up

“Papa!” Joanna yelled from the bathroom.

Jim adjusted Elliot in his arms and walked down the hall to the bathroom. “I just put more toilet paper in there,” he said through the door.

“It’s not that.”

“Soap?”

“No.”

“What is it then, Jo? I’m too tired to try to guess.” He leaned his head against the doorframe tiredly.

She opened the door and looked at him, utterly terrified. “I think I’m dying,” she said completely seriously.

“What?”

“I’m bleeding.”

Jim sighed. “You’re not dying.”

“I’m bleeding, Papa.”

“You’re not dying, Jojo.”

“How am I not dying?”

He took a deep breath and sighed again. Opening his mouth to try to explain it, he just couldn’t manage to get the words out. “Dear god. Jo, put some shoes on. We’ll see if your daddy can explain it because I…I don’t really know how to. Thought I had a few more years and he would be around to explain it.”

So, fifteen minutes later, Jim was driving to the hospital.

“You promise I’m not dying, Papa?” Joanna asked.

“I promise. I’m just not the best one to explain it.”

She frowned but didn’t say anymore. When they got to the hospital, Jim had the three girls sit down while he went to the front desk.

“How may I help you?” the nurse asked.

“Is Dr. McCoy available? I need to speak with him. Well, technically, our daughter needs to speak with him,” Jim answered.

“You do understand you can’t just interrupt his workday like this, sir?”

“Yes, I know. I just don’t know how to explain her first period to her. Awkward and stupid, I know, but even if you just have a nurse who can do it.”

The nurse bit his lip, trying not to laugh, then answered, “I’ll see what I can do.” Then got up and walked out of the little office.

Not even two minutes later, Leonard was running out to the waiting room. “Who got hurt? Or sick? Is it Elliot?” He looked closer at the sleeping infant in Jim’s arms.

“No one’s hurt or sick. I just…Just don’t know how to explain something to Jo,” Jim said apologetically.

“You interrupted me at work because you couldn’t explain something to one of our children? Jim, I have patients I could to be seeing. You can’t just waltz in here like this. You know better.”

“She thinks she’s dying.”

“And bringing her here is going to really convince her she’s not?” Leonard crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“Please.”

“You’re cooking dinner for the next two weeks,” Leonard said glaring at him before walking over to Joanna. “Come on Jo, you and I are going to talk about what’s going on.” He gestured for her to follow him outside, then called over his shoulder, “Matt, I’m going to be outside if y’all need anything.”

The nurse who was back at the front desk gave him a thumbs up.

“Papa, is Jo ok?” Elise asked as Jim sat down in the chair Joanna had been sitting in.

“She’s just fine. I’m just bad at explaining some things.”

~

Ten minutes later, Leonard and Joanna walked in, walking straight past Jim, Izzy, Elise, and Elliot and to the front desk.

“I need a pen and paper,” Leonard said to Matt, who found a pen and pad of sticky notes and handed them over. He wrote down a couple things, then handed the note to Joanna. “Tell him to take you to the store on the way home and get the things on the list. I’ll be home for dinner and we can talk more then. Sound good?”

“Yeah,” Joanna nodded.

“I love you. I’ll see you later.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead before shooing her back off to Jim.

“Daddy says we need to stop at the store on the way home,” she said as they headed to the car, “Gave me a list.”

“Ok,” Jim nodded.

Once in the car, Joanna handed over the list, and Jim was grateful it was at least semi specific. Of course, shopping wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to do when you have a hyper six-year-old you’re trying to keep from running off and a nine-year-old asking questions about all the feminine products.

“Elise. Please stop or you can sit in the cart,” Jim sighed after Joanna put a box of pads in the cart, before opening the package, taking one out, and hurrying off to the bathroom.

“Papa, what are these for?” Izzy asked pointing to a box of tampons when Joanna returned.

“Ask Daddy when he gets home, and get back here, Elise or you’re going to sit in the cart.” Jim sighed, then muttered under his breath, “God help me.”

And if he thought the feminine products aisle was going to be difficult to navigate, nothing compared to aisle with candy.

“Papa, can we get gummy worms?” Elise asked.

“No,” he answered as Joanna looked over the selection of chocolate bars.

“What about bears?”

“No.”

“Can I get chocolate?” Izzy asked.

“No.”

Izzy pouted, but said nothing more.

“What about Sour Patch Kids, Papa?” Elise asked.

“No. I’m not buying you candy.”

“How come Jo gets candy then?”

Jim pinched the bridge of his nose. “Because she’s in a situation where she deserves it.”

“But Papa…” Elise whined.

“Elise May, we are not going to do this.”

“But I want gummy worms.”

“The answer is no,” Jim said as Elliot started fussing.

And there it went to hell. Elise started throwing a tantrum and Elliot was on the edge of straight up wailing. He hesitated, trying to decide whether he should deal with Elise or Elliot first.

“I can calm Elliot down, Papa,” Joanna said.

“Thank you, Jojo,” he smiled before turning to Elise who had thrown herself onto the floor crying. “Get up.”

“No,” Elise cried.

“I’ll walk away. If you want to sit on the floor crying, be my guest. But I have shopping I need to finish and your baby brother is crying, so I don’t have time for this, Elise.”

“I want gummy worms.”

“No. It looks like you’ve made your decision though.” He turned around and started walking away slowly, pulling the cart along with him.

It took five steps before Elise was running after him, still in tears.

“Papa.”

“Are you going to behave?”

“I want…”

“I take that as a no.”

“Papa…”

“No.”

Two minutes later, Jim resigned himself to not being able to get anywhere unless he picked Elise up. He tried setting her in the cart, but she just tried to climb out, so he was stuck carrying a screaming six-year-old while Joanna pushed the cart and thankfully managed to calm Elliot down. By the time they finished shopping, made it to the front of the store and in line to check out, Elise was pretty much just clinging onto Jim, a few tears still running down her cheeks.

“Wife leave you in charge of the kids?” the elderly woman in front of them in line asked.

“What?” Jim asked adjusting his Elise in his arms.

“Did your wife leave you in charge of the kids? You look a bit frazzled.”

“Wife?”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. It must be really hard. Four kids all on your own.”

“I’m not on my own. My husband’s at work.”

“Oh,” she said looking a little disgusted and turned away.

~

Five-thirty

“Papa,” Elise asked wandering into the kitchen where Jim was starting dinner.

“Yeah? What’s up?” He turned around noticing her frown. “Something wrong?”

“Izzy said that lady didn’t like you.”

Jim pressed his lips together, then gestured her over. “Do you want to help me make dinner?”

She nodded, then asked, “Is Izzy right?”

Jim turned the stove off and helped her sit on the counter. “Yes. I think she is.”

“Why?”

“Some people don’t like kids having two daddies.”

“Why?”

“They think kids should only have one dad and one mom.”

“But why?”

“Because they believe two guys or two girls shouldn’t be in love like Daddy and I am.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, and you don’t need to worry about it right now.”

~

When Leonard got home forty-five minutes later, he went straight to the kitchen.

“Daddy!” Elise dropped the napkins she was putting at each place setting and ran over to him, just about launching herself into his arms for a hug.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he laughed kissing her cheek, “You helping Papa with dinner?”

She nodded proudly when she pulled away and went back to setting the table.

“Where’s my kiss?” Jim smiled as Leonard walked over.

“Here.” Leonard pressed his lips to Jim’s for a moment.

“Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Good. I’m starving.”

“Go change out of your scrubs and let Jo and Izzy know dinner’s ready. They’re probably both in their rooms.”

Leonard kissed his cheek before heading upstairs.

~

After dinner, they all settled in the living room watching a movie. Elise was curled up next to Leonard and Izzy had her feet up on Jim’s lap. Jim spent about half the movie quoting it and making comments, which the girls found hilarious and Leonard just rolled his eyes at more often than not.

Once the girls were all in bed and Elliot was fed and asleep, the two of them sat back on the couch and found something new to watch. Leonard eventually laid down and put his head on Jim’s lap.

“Sorry about earlier, by the way,” Jim said suddenly.

“You owe me big time. It’s lucky we weren’t busy.”

“I know. I kind of just freaked out. It was always supposed to be Ellie who would explain these things to Izzy and Elise, and then I figured I had more time before I’d have to explain it.” He sighed, then added, “I had to explain something else difficult today though.”

Leonard turned and looked up at Jim. “Hm?”

“The woman in front of us in line at the store wasn’t particularly thrilled when I mentioned I have a husband. Izzy picked up on it and I guess told Elise who asked me about it.”

“What’d you tell her?”

“That some people don’t like when people like you and I are in love.” Jim sighed. “I think she thought I was incompetent when it came to caring for them.”

“You’re not.”

“I couldn’t explain to Jo what a period was. That’s pretty incompetent. I couldn’t get Elise to calm down from a tantrum in the middle of one of the aisles. And Elliot was crying so Jo calmed him down, which she shouldn’t have to do. She’s thirteen.”

“She’s a big sister.”

“And a child herself.”

“Jim, it’s fine. It’s ok for her to help you out when needed.”

Jim leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, Leonard sat up.

“Let’s go to bed. I’m tired and I’m sure you are too,” Leonard said as he got up.

“I’ll lock up,” Jim nodded.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://pinkamour1588.tumblr.com)


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